Annapurna Circuit Trek: Day 15

DAY 15: Tatopani to Ghorepani
My poor ankles! Bandaged up tightly and ready to go I started off at around 7:30am. This wasn't one of the longer days at 14 km but it was the day with the single highest altitude gain at between 1700-1800m difference.

It started almost instantly as once we crossed a suspension bridge we hit a series of switchbacks that had us gain about 400m in only a two kilometer travel distance. Once at the top I re-bandaged my ankles and was in pretty obvious pain. Two men from China came over and offered a spray that helped alleviate the pain. They then proceeded to GIVE me this treatment. The kindness you find from people - regardless of where they are from - is amazing.

Pushing on I tried to avoid further damage by trying to stabilize the ankle and just go at a slow and steady pace. This meant that the day's trek wouldn't end until about 5pm, but it is worth it not to rush. The mountain views about an hour after reaching the top of the set of switchbacks is incredible. Stop and just take it in and see if you can identify the peaks!

After reaching Chitre I was faced with the second large ascent of the day. This one covered about another 300m in a two kilometer hike. The difference being that it is through a beautiful forest and due to the elevation difference is quite a bit cooler! I eventually got to Ghorepani and found a room at the Hill Top Guesthouse. While having dinner I noticed a young man outside taking pictures. It was 6pm and pitch black. When I focused my view I noticed I could clearly see some of the peaks. When I went outside to ask what he was doing I found that he was taking long exposure pictures. I immediately went to get my tripod and tried taking some before the clouds rolled in and obscured the view.

Annapurna I (left); Annapurna South (right)

After about an hour of photos and talking with the young man, whose name was Ben, I had to get upstairs and get some sleep. The next day required getting up at 4:30am to see the sun come up!

Cost: Approx. 2200 Rs
Approx distance trekked: 14 km
Next up: The last day of the trek!

Annapurna Circuit Trek: Day 14

DAY 14: Ghasa to Tatopani
This was one of the easier days of the trek. It did come at the cost of the general well-being of both my ankles, as the rough and rocky roads made for a tough time on the soles of my feet - causing me to roll my ankles one too many times.

I set off at around 8:15 and hiked one of the more beautiful sections this time. Instead of using the road I stuck with the old trekking trail. It is highly recommended that you do this route. You will see signs for the old route and you will cross a very long and HIGH suspension bridge. You will never not be scared of these things! Continuing on I passed through two small villages that had not too much in the way of supplies but did offer a place to sit and rest for a bit.

Rupse Chhahara - "Beautiful Waterfall"

Within a short time I crossed another suspension bridge and was back on the road and almost immediately met with the spectacle of one of the largest waterfalls you will see on the Annapurna Circuit Trek - the Rupse Chhahara or "Beautiful Waterfall". After heading farther along to the quaint village of Dana I crossed through the old passage instead of using the road. If you get a chance to use these routes - do it. Peaceful and tranquil are the best words to describe them. You also get an amazing view of Annapurna South to your left!

It didn't take too much longer until I arrived at Tatopani. I made great time. Trekking 13 km in under four hours is no small feat! Lodging was at the Dhaulagiri Lodge and I would highly recommend this very nice place. There is also a good chance to gather supplies here as well as souvenirs. I bought another Buddhist mantra charm for my necklace from the same woman that sold me the other one I had. It's amazing the people you meet and connect with so do chat it up whenever possible!

After buying another ace bandage it was time for bed. The ankles were really starting to hurt now. A high ankle sprain in my left side and a mild sprain in the ankle on the right. Rest certainly could not come soon enough!

Cost: 1900 Rs
Approx. distance trekked: 13 km
Next up: Tatopani to Ghorepani

Annapurna Circuit Trek: Day 13

DAY 13: Kalopani to Ghasa
First, sorry for the long delay!

This day I slept in. I Finally set off and decided to backtrack a bit and do a scenic loop around Titi Lake. After stopping for some tea, I continued on with some impressive views of Nilgiri South dominating my sightline. This extra route is highly recommended!

Trying to beat a storm that I saw coming just wasn't going to happen, however. Once I got to Choyyo? RAIN. With little to no shelter I was basically screwed as I tried to haul and make it to some semblance of cover. Once I got back to the main road, I then crossed a pretty precarious suspension bridge that on one end was covered by a small rockslide. Had I chosen to go with the road, there would have been buses competing for space with me. The buses will certainly win that one!

After a slow and steady rain for about an hour - and only about 2 miles from Ghasa - the rain finally stopped and the sun came out. Figures, right? When reaching the northern portion of Ghasa, I checked in at the police checkpost and kept on. I stayed at the Eagle's Nest Guest House but after the super accomodations in Kalopani the night before, it was going to be hard to compare! Great food and the dining area was shared with a large group of older Israeli women. Quite a rowdy and fun bunch!

Cost: 1950 Rs
Approx distance trekked: 13 km
Next up: Ghasa to Tatopani

Annapurna Circuit Trek: Day 12

DAY 12: Marpha to Kalopani



Day twelve started rather late. This was the last time I would see the troop that was biking the Circuit Trek. After breakfast I set off rather late. That seemed to be the theme for the entire trek save for a couple of days. Thankfully I made some good time each day and felt stronger every day.



This was a very long day. After a brief stop to rest in Tukuche, I soldiered on and tried to make up a bit of the time I lost. The views leaving Tukuche were absolutely breathtaking. Seeing fields sparsely populated with the towering Himalayan peak Dhaulagiri in the distance would strike awe in practically any person. Next was Larjung.
Originally I was to stay here for the night. This was the next major village after Tukuche. A quick lunch of dal bhat and a snap decision was made to push on.




If memory serves correctly - Dhaulagiri beyond the southern edge of Tukuche


Pressing on, I initially avoided the recommended path that would go around and past Kalopani. At first I regretted this decision. Basically most of the area I trekked was on the newly constructed road. In days to come this would come back to bite me in the ass. I certainly much preferred hiking along the paths. More intimate views and less rocks to cause my feet to buckle! The ankles can only tolerate that so many times.



By about 4:30 PM I had arrived in Kalopani. I took the Lonely Planet guide's choice for a place to stay with the Kalopani Guest House. This was by far the nicest accommodations I would have on the entire trek. It's not to speak ill of the other places I stayed at. This place was relatively new and seemed to take a lot of pride in their work. Westernized bathrooms meant a relatively hot shower. It was needed.



In the meantime I took the chance to play with the camera and take some pictures as the sun was going down. Annapurna was off in the distance as was Takuche. Dhaulagiri was in view for a short time but clouds would obscure this beast. After a good dinner I relaxed with a movie on the tablet and rested up for the following day.





Annapurna I

Cost: 2600 Rs
Approx. distance trekked: 17 km
Next up: Kalopani to Ghasa

Videos from the Annapurna Circuit Trek are up!

Videos from my trip!




Video from my trip that I took is now up! Below is a playlist of ten videos I put together, complete with music I felt fit the mood of each one. All of the video is from my phone. The ten videos in the playlist total 41 minutes worth of footage. Enjoy them and please share with others!



HINT: On the youtube display, you will see on the top of it "Playlist Nepal 2012 - Annapurna Circuit Trek! (12 videos)". If you click on that, thumbnails for the videos will show up, allowing you to easily navigate between the videos and any ones you want to watch!

Annapurna Circuit Trek: Day 11

DAY 11: Ranipauwa to Marpha



So day 11 was a long one. I woke up early and after an awesome breakfast, set off at around 7:15am. This day, I wanted to make sure I left quite early, as once you get to around Jomsom at noon? The winds will pick up like clockwork!



One of the alternate routes that would have added a day would have been to hike towards Kagbeni. Part of me regrets not doing this, but I honestly wasn't sure how much time I would have, and if an extra day would have been prudent. So I continued on through Khinga and then to Eklai Bhatti, where I had a light snack. At this point, it was about 10:30am, and I had to pick up the pace in order to try and avoid the winds. Once leaving there, I headed to Jomsom. I ran into a Chinese man that I had seen occasionally while trekking over the last few days. During this entire time, there was a small six month old puppy that was tagging along. Now, this pup was following along with us since Ranipauwa. We were a good ten kilometers from there!



The pup was, I believe, part Tibetan mastiff. They're actually quite friendly, in this region, and seemed to really like human companionship. The previous year, another one of these pups followed along from Eklai Bhatti to Jomsom - a good seven kilometer walk. Well, the Chinese man actually took a look at the pup and made a joke about how back home? That would have been dinner! Obviously, it was a joke, and I actually appreciated that someone played up the stereotypes. It was, of course, in jest.



Now before Jomsom occurred the only bad thing I experienced during the entire trip. There were porters for another group trekking along. One of the porters started throwing rocks at the little pup - and laughed about it. I made a couple of comments to the Chinese trekker, and finally snapped at the porter pretty sternly, wagging a finger at him and saying "No!" in Nepalese. Just a few minutes later, as the pup was laying down for a second, the same porter went to pick up another rock and throw it at the pup. I bent down purposely in his way, and got even louder with my displeasure. He still laughed. Eventually, one of the other porters actually picked up the pup and carried him the last bit before Jomsom. It was a pretty horrible thing to see, but it is fairly common in that part of the world. I came incredibly close to grabbing a rock and hurling it at the porter's feet, but honestly, I have no idea what sort of problems that could have potentially caused. I was 8,000 miles from home, and the last thing I should be doing is getting into a fight.



After getting to Jomsom, I parted ways with the other trekker, as I was searching for the guesthouse that purportedly had a certain Jimi Hendrix as a guest back in the late '60's. Complete with graffiti on the wall! The Thak Khola lodge is very beat up. Also, it's rumored to be closing, soon. As a thank you, I gave the owners 500 Rs to simply see the room. I stayed for about 20 minutes to see all of the other graffiti and it honestly was a pretty cool experience! Once I left, I continued into the Southern part of Jomsom, grabbed some lunch, and continued on.



The last stretch to Marpha was an ordeal. The winds had picked up furiously, by this point. Now, every day starting at 11am or noon, the winds get stronger from the South. This is due to the wind tunnel effect the gorge created between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I that you're actually walking through. Depending on what source you would find, the Kali Gandaki gorge can be described as the world's deepest, at over 18,000 feet! Anyhow, the last few kilometers were quite tough. Walking headlong into the wind and the subsequent sand that was carried with it meant using the scarf I brought with me as a way to cover my mouth. If you're planning to trek this section of the Circuit Trek, do yourself a favor and bring a good scarf. You will thank yourself!




Tashi Lhakhang Gompa - Marpha


At about 2:30pm, I arrived in Marpha. I decided to stay at the Neeru Guesthouse, and they have excellent food! I also ran into the mountain biking crew for the last time, as they were finishing up the next day. While in Marpha, I visited the Tashi Lhakhang Gompa, which is pictured above. Remember, if you walk along the prayer wheels, make sure you find out whether to walk in a clockwise or counter-clockwise fashion. It may not mean much to you, but it means a lot to the people that are there! Once I finished with a big dinner, I then fell asleep after watching "Princess Bride" on my tablet. Not a bad way to end the day, eh?



Cost: 2400 Rs
Approx. distance trekked: 20 km
Next up: Marpha to Kalopani

New posts coming soon!

I want to apologize for the LONG delay in posts. I just recently finished a different fundraiser, and got very focused on that. Between that and the recent bombings here in Boston, I've allowed this blog to suffer. I will be finishing the remaining few days of my trek over the next month or two. I appreciate the patience, and will post again very soon!